Of Fireworks and Pyros
by Raven Kouryuu
Summary: It's the Fourth of July and a certain redhead hasn't shown up, again. But, this night is not like the others, this one is full of promise. What will unfold beneath the fireworkfilled sky?


You sat on the small balcony that you had carefully erected on top of your house, waiting for the sun to fully set and the fireworks to begin. Today was the Fourth of July and in your town the fireworks lasted all night and you loved to stay up and watch them. But, it wasn't just the fireworks you were waiting for anymore. It was three years ago that you took up waiting for a friend of yours, and though he had never been able to make it, you still never failed to set a place for him at the small table you had up here. A small smile crept to your lips as you thought about your friend. He was a piece of work, but despite all his quirks, he was a pretty good guy.

You tilted your plastic chair back slightly, thinking about how your life had changed in the three years you had known him. You had found him passed out in your living room and when you had tried to call 911, the power went out. So you had ended up leaving him on the couch until he woke up, though you had kept a knife on you, just in case. He woke up after a few hours and oddly enough, you had become quick friends with the redhead. Over the next week you learned about his being a nobody, and what that meant, and it had struck a chord in you. Ever since then you had offered him a place to stay when he needed it, encouragement, and any assistance that you could give. But, as is the way of things, your friendly feelings began to develop into something more, though you never said anything about it, for his sake. You had told him about the fireworks, and he promised that he'd do everything he could to show up and watch them with you one year, but it just hadn't happened yet. You couldn't hold it against him though, knowing what he was busy doing.

A shrill whistle and a bang snapped you out of your thoughts with a light jolt, causing you chair to fall forward again. While the sun wasn't quite set, some people were already setting off some of their fireworks. This caused you to frown a little, as you resigned yourself to another year watching the fireworks alone. You weren't sure why it bugged you as badly as it did, seeing as how you had always spent it by yourself. With a resigned sigh you grabbed a piece of pizza and put it on your plate, before cracking open a can of soda. You settled into your chair before pulling out your camera and getting ready for the fireworks to start. You were too focused on watching the sky to notice the soft footsteps that came from behind you.

"Don't tell me you were about to start without me," came a familiar voice from behind you. Startled, you jumped and turned around.

"Axel! You made it!" you shouted happily as you practically jumped out of your seat to glomp him. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up this year either," You let go of him and stepped back, smiling.

"Don't be dumb. The sun's not even fully down yet," he said, smiling back. "But, I have a surprise, try to guess what it is." You tilted your head and looked at him. He wasn't holding anything, and you didn't think there were any pockets on his coat.

"Can I get a hint?" you asked, to which he only smiled wider. That's what made it click. You gave a squee of delight and for the second time that night you gave him a huge hug. "You found it?" you asked, feeling euphoric.

"Kind of. I couldn't find the one that my somebody had, but I found a way to get my own heart," he said, hugging you back, though your mind didn't register the action.

"So, what're you going to do now?" you asked, pulling back slightly so that you could look at him.

"Well, there's this girl, you see. And I promised her I'd pay her a visit today," he said with a small smile.

"Oh, really?" you responded, raising an eyebrow. You knew where this was going, but it would be more fun if you played along, so you did.

"Yup. She's really nice, you'd get along great with her," he said, nodding sagely.

"Describe he for me. What's she like?"

"For starters, she's gorgeous. She's got beautiful (color) hair that I'd like to run my hands through, and this pair of (color) eyes that I never want to look away from, and a mouth that I could kiss forever. And, added to that, she's one of the coolest people, when she's not dumping water on me at nine in the morning. She's stuck by me since we met, and never once gave up on supporting me. She loved me before I could return the feeling, and hopefully she's never stopped, because I'd like to tell her I love her too," he finished, his aqua eyes searching your own for your thoughts. By this point though, your eyes had begun to tear up and you gave him a small smile, before pulling him close.

"That's lucky, because she never did stop. And you have no idea how much she's wanted to hear those words," you managed to choke out, as you felt his arms close around you. You heard the fireworks begin, but if it came down to a choice between the fireworks and Axel, they had no chance.

"In that case," he whispered into your ear, "I love you." And with that, he pulled you into a chaste kiss, which you returned gladly. While it didn't last long, it brought you to a whole new level of joy.

"And I love you too," you replied, content.

"You know," he said after several minutes of just standing there, holding each other, "Those fireworks aren't going to watch themselves, though that would be a feat to see too."

"That would," you replied with a smile as you let him go reluctantly. You moved the two chairs together as you sat it one and he took a seat in the other. Once you were both situated, you rested your head on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around you. You let out a contented sigh. This was perfection for you. A cool July night, beautiful fireworks, and your very own pyro.

Owari


End file.
